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The 'zinger burger', a type of spicy fried chicken burger invented by US fast food giant KFC, has won considerable popularity among Chinese diners who order food online, according to a recent report by Ele.me.

The Shanghai-based online food delivery service provider revealed in its Chinese Internet Local Living Services Blue Book that in 2017 more than 18 million zinger burgers were ordered online. The burger was the second favourite meal of choice among online diners and the only Western cuisine to appear in the top ten.

Despite being a KFC trademark, the 'zinger burger' name has become a general term in China used by fast food outlets for their own spicy fried chicken burgers.

The report noted that many customers ordered the spicy burger as a late evening meal or midnight snack.

High-speed growth

Top of the list is the preserved egg dish 'congee'. This is a rice porridge from the Guangdong region that is often served with minced pork, although there are many variations.

Ele.me said that it delivered nearly 19 million portions of congee last year, Xinhua reports.

The rest of the top ten are all traditional but widely popular Chinese dishes, including sour and spicy shredded potato, fish-flavoured pork, shredded cabbage and poached sliced pork in hot chili oil.

China's online food ordering sector has maintained its high-speed growth in recent years. According to statistics from the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC), in 2017 more than 343 million people ordered food this way - an increase of 64.6 percent compared to 2016.